My co-conspirator in The Usual Suspects, Andrew, blogged about Google’s mathematical and financial problem-solving functionalities awhile back. The Google search bar doesn’t only return results of keyword queries, it also spits out sums, quotients, differences, even forex conversions.
My own preferred use of Google’s extended facility is as a look-up tool for vocabulary. That’s right, Google provides an online dictionary service. Try this out for size: the define: operator. Type a word or phrase after that operator, hit the search button, and Google comes back with word meanings, synonyms, actual usage.
I wish, though, that the Did you mean…? function also worked in case you misspelled a word.
It’s free, and it’s fast and, to my knowledge, results are pretty accurate. So there’s no reason for you not to utilize this excellent service, especially if you’re a blogger who wants to improve his writing skills.
Yesterday, in fact, I made heavy use of the Big G’s dictionary tool. I was reading a position paper on the Philippine government’s planned National Broadband Network, written by U.P. School of Economics professors, and there were a number of words the meanings of which I wasn’t entirely sure. For example, “cupidity”. Something to do with that baby angel wreaking havoc on lovers’ hearts? But seeing it in context, I figured the word couldn’t possibly mean anything close to that. (Turns out it’s synonymous to avarice, or ‘extreme greed for material wealth’.) Another unfamiliar word to me until now was “parvenu“. Google it!
One way to build your vocabulary is to not neglect to look up the meanings of words that you don’t fully comprehend. You’ll find the exercise very rewarding, I assure you. OK, just in case you didn’t Google “parvenu”, it means nouveau riche, with the attendant societal nuances. That position paper’s authors wrote about China as being a “parvenu trading power”. You can’t really use “nouveau riche” to describe entire economies, you see — that would be more for describing people.
When it comes time to expressing yourself more accurately, it certainly helps to possess an enriched vocabulary. Not only will you sound erudite on your blog, but you’ll be able to get your message across more precisely, with less chance of misinterpretation.
3:44 pm on 9 Aug 2007
Is there anything Google can’t do these days? Hehe.
3:52 pm on 9 Aug 2007
Hey Misterhubs! Long time no see!
Well, you know, I’m actually going to write something not so good about the Big G. But I have to do some research first before I let my fingers fly over the keyboard… Watch out for that one!
11:48 pm on 9 Aug 2007
I look forward to that.
5:25 pm on 3 Oct 2007
I used Google’s “define” function recently, and I just found out that they do have the “Did you mean…?” function running already. I misspelled a word on purpose, and it spat out the correct spelling! Nice.
Now, about that not-so-good thingie about Google that I was supposed to write about… well, it turned out to be untrue, so that’s dead now.